Catch mechanism



April 13, 1965 R. J. NELSON 3,178,213

CATCH MECHANISM Filed Jan. 10, 1963 INVENTOR. Poae'knZ/Vusmv A a ray/Iv:

United States Patent 3,178,213 CATCH MECHANISM Robert 3. Nelson, 4010 Merriam Road, Hopkins, Minn. Filed Jan. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 250,517 8 Claims. ((11. 292-48) The present invention relates to catch mechanisms and more particularly to a catch mechanism of the type suited for retaining a door in the closed position.

A variety of catch mechanisms have been previously proposed. Many of these catch mechanisms employ spring biased latching portions adapted to engage a member mounted rigidly upon a door. These prior catch mechanisms have, however, not been entirely satisfactory. One shortcoming of the prior catch devices is that the catch spring exerts a force normal to the direction which the free end of the door travels when it is being closed. As a result, the spring acts very inefiiciently to move the free end of the door toward the closed position.

A number of other devices have been previously proposed for securely closing a door but many of these are highly complicated in construction, can be manufactured only at a relatively high cost and therefore are not widely used. On the other hand, some of the devices of the type described, while being relatively inexpensive to manufacture, extend outwardly a considerable distance from the door frame and include exposed pivots and springs which present a poor visual appearance.

In view of these and other shortcomings of the prior art it is thus one object of the present invention to provide an improved catch mechanism of the class described which is rugged in construction and reliable in operation, can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and presents an attractive visual appearance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved catch mechanism for closing doors and the like, including a latch member aflixed to the door, a catch assembly mounted on the door frame for securely grasping the member and a provision for reliably driving the latch member in a direction adapted to close the door.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved catch mechanism which can be easily installed on a variety of different doors such as the doors of cabinets or entry ways.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved catch mechanism which is suited for fabrication from metal stampings.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved door catch mechanism including a resilient member for urging the door toward the closed position and the latch assembly for securely retaining the resilient member in a compressed condition until the door is to be closed and a provision for thereafter releasing the spring from the compressed condition whereby the spring will draw the door toward the closed position.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a .partial perspective view of an entryway showing a preferred form of the invention as it appears when mounted between the door and the door frame.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 1 as seen from below with the door latch member in position to be received by the catch mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the door closure mechanism of the present invention with the latch member partially inserted into the catch mechanism.

3,173,213 Patented Apr. 13, 1965 ice FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the latch member as it appears when the door is moved to the closed position.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the recessed portions of the catch mechanism.

There is shown in FIG. 1 a catch mechanism indicated generally at 19 and including a casing and a latch member 12 which during use is mounted upon a door, such as door 13. As shown best in FIG. 1, the door 18 is mounted for swinging movement in a door frame 14 including a horizontally disposed door jamb 16. The latch member 12 is mounted upon the door 18 in such a manner that it will fit exactly within the casing of the catch mechanism 10 when the door is in the closed position as explained more fully hereinbelow.

As can be best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the latch member 12 includes a circumferential recess 20 near its outward end. The extreme outward end of the latch member 12 is provided with a rounded end at 22 for purposes hereinafter explained. At the base of the latch member 12 is provided a mounting plate 24 which is securely fastened to the door 18 by suitable securing members, such as nails 26.

As can be best seen in FIGS. 2 through 5, the casing of the latch mechanism 10 includes upper and lower portions which can conveniently be formed from metal stampings including an upper stamping 30 and a lower stamping 32. The upper stamping 30 is provided with a longitudinally extending pair of laterally spaced and diametrically opposed recesses or ways 34. At approximately the center of the catch mechanism 10 are provided a pair of laterally extending pockets 36 which communicate with the longitudinal recesses 34.

Extending longitudinally of the casing between the ways 34 is a generally cylindrical chamber 38 formed from upwardly and downwardly displaced sections of the casing members 30 and 32, respectively. As best seen in FIG. 5, the chamber 38 includes a reduced diameter 38 at one end and an enlarged diameter 38' near the inlet end thereof. Extending laterally from the sides of each of members 30 and 32 are opposed slotted mounting plates 39 which during use are securely fastened to the door jamb 16 by means of suitable fasteners such as screws 39. The upper and lower casing members 30 and 32 can be either welded or otherwise fastened together at the factory or securely held together by the screws 39*.

Positioned a short distance centrally of the inlet end of the catch mechanism 10 in each of the casing members 30 and 32 is a transversely extending slot 40 best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. Slot 40 in each of these members is an appropriate size to receive the upper and lower edges of a flange 42 which extends radially outward from the end of a hollow conical guide 44. As seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 the guide 44 is open at its outer and inner ends. The engagement of the flange 42 in the slot 40 thus securely retains the guide 44 in a fixed position within the catch mechanism 10.

Abutting against the inward edge of the flange 42 and extending inwardly therefrom is a helical spring 46. The inward end of the spring 46 abuts against the outward surface of a flange 47 which is integral with a sleeve 48 mounted for sliding movement within the chamber portion 38*.

As best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 the sleeve 48 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed openings 52 for purposes hereinafter explained. Extending laterally from the lower end of the sleeve 48 are a pair of mounting brackets 54. Pivotally mounted at 54 on each of the brackets 54 is a locking member 56. Each of the locking members 56 includes an outwardly extending lug 56 and an inwardly extending lug 56 at the upper end thereof. The lower ends of the locking members 56 project centrally and are connected by a spring 58 which during operation draws the lower ends thereof together and urges the lugs 56 and 56 outwardly. Mounted in the extreme inward end of the bore 38* or at the lower end as seen in the drawings is a spring 60 which functions to cushion the inward movement of the latch member 12 when the latter moves into the catch mechanism 10.

To mount the catch mechanism upon a door, the latch member 12 is inserted into the catch mechanism casing and with the door 18 in the closed position the casing is positioned such that the plate 24 of the latch member 12 abuts against the door 18. The screws 39 are then driven into the jamb 16 and the position of the plate 24 on the door 18 is marked. After the casing of the catch mechanism has been secured to the door jamb 16, the latch member 12 is removed and the plate 24 is secured to the door 18 by means of fasteners 26. The catch mechanism is then ready for operation.

During operation, the latch member 12 will enter the open end of the catch mechanism 10 as best seen in FIG. 2 through the guide 44. Since the latch member. 12 swings through an arc, the conical inward surface of the guide 44 will help move it smoothly into the catch mechanism 10. The spring 58 will draw the lower ends of the locking members together thereby forcing the lugs 56' into the recesses 36 so as to securely retain the sleeve 48 in the position of FIG. 3. Thus, as the latch member 12 is introduced into the catch mechanism, the spring 46 will be compressed to the condition shown in FIG. 3.

When the rounded end 22 of the latch member 12 passes into the guide 44 and sleeve 48 to the position of FIG. 3, it can be seen that the rounded end 22 will press the inward ends of the locking members 56 outwardly against the tension of spring 58. As this takes place, the lugs 56 will be released from the pockets 36 while lugs 56 simultaneously become engaged in the recess of the latch member 12. As a result, the spring 46 will exert a downward force on the sleeve 48 and latch member 12 rather than on the casing of the catch mechanism. The force of the spring 46 against the flange 47 will therefore drive the sleeve 48 and the latch member 12 downwardly or inwardly to the position of FIG. 4 with the locking members 56 and the lateral brackets 54 sliding in the slot 34. When the end of the latchmember 12 is close to its innermost position, the members 56 will abut against the spring 69 which thus functions to cushion the inward movement of the latch member and door 18.

When the door is opened, the reverse series of steps will take place. Thus, the latch member 12, sleeve 48 and locking members 56 will be drawn outwardly (upwardly as in FIGS. 2 through 4) until the lugs 56 are free to swing laterally into the recesses 36 at which time the lugs 56* will be disengaged from the recess 20 thereby allowing the latch member 12 to be withdrawn from the catch mechanism 10 with the spring 46 again locked in the compressed condition of FIG. 3.

From the above discussion it should readily be seen that the catch mechanism according to the present invention provides an attractive visual appearance and can be manufactured largely from relatively low cost metal stampings. Since the compression axis of the spring 46 is aligned with the axis of the movement of the free end of the door, the invention provides a firm and therefore secure closing action. Moreover, the expansion of spring 46 can be made to extend through a relatively great distance such as two or three inches and through these two or three inches of travel, the door will be yieldably biased toward the closed position.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what i claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A catch mechanism comprising in combination, first and second members mounted for relative sliding movement, a locking member slidably mounted upon said first member for movement between first and second positions thereon, said locking member being normally engaged with said first member in said first position, a yieldable biasing means operatively connected to said locking member for urging said locking member toward said second position, a portion of said second member being positioned to disengage said locking member from said first member, and a means on the locking member for securing the second member to the'locking member when the locking member is disengaged from the first member whereby said biasing means will force the locking member and said second member to move toward said second position.

2. A catch mechanism comprising in combination, a housing having a chamber therein, a spring mounted concentrically within one end of said chamber, said chamber having an inlet opening at one end thereof adjacent said spring, a latch member adapted to be mounted for movement into said inlet opening, a means for locking said spring in a compressed condition adjacent said inlet opening, said last named means also being operable to connect the inward end of the spring to the latch member in response to the movement of the latch member into the inlet of said chamber and for simultaneously disengaging the inward end of the spring from said chamber whereby the spring will urge the free end of the latch member inwardly from said inlet opening.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein resilient means is provided at the inward end of the chamber in the housing for cushioning the inward movement of the latch member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a thin walled truncated conical guide is rigidly mounted at the inlet end of said catch mechanism for receiving the free end of said latch member.

5. A catch mechanism comprising in combination;

(a) a housing having a chamber therein, said chamber having an inlet;

(b) a sleeve slidably disposed in said chamber;

(0) spring means disposed intermediate the inlet of said chamber and said sleeve for tending to bias said sleeve inwardly of said chamber;

(d) a latch member adapted to slide into said chamber;

and

(e) at least one locking member disposed on said sleeve,

said locking member normally engaging the side of said chamber in proximity to maintain said spring means in compression, said locking member being responsive to the insertion of said latch member in said sleeve member to engage said latch member and disengage said chamber so that said latch member and said sleeve are urged inwardly of said chamber.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said locking member includes a first lug adapted to engage said casing and a second lug adapted to engage said latch member.

7. A catch mechanism for a door closer comprising in combination, a housing having a chamber therein with an inlet opening at one end thereof and a spring mounted therein, a sleeve slidably mounted Within said chamber, said spring being mounted between the inlet end of said chamber and said sleeve for yieldably biasing said sleeve away from said inlet opening, a locking member movably mounted upon said sleeve and including a first connecting portion adapted to secure said locking member and said sleeve to said chamber and a second connecting portion adapted to secure said locking member and said sleeve to a latch member, a resilient member for yieldably urg- 5 ing the first connecting portion into engagement with the chamber, said locking member being operative to engage the latch member when the latch member is inserted into the chamber and move the second connecting portion into engagement with the latch member and the first connecting portion out of engagement from the chamber responsive to continued inward movement of said latch member whereby the sleeve member will be disconnected from the casing and the spring will thereby move the locking mem- 8. A catch mechanism according to claim 7 wherein a pair of such locking members are pivotally mounted on opposite sides of said sleeve and the resilient member is connected therebetween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,941,835 6/60 Musser 294-83.l

ber, sleeve and latch member into the chamber along a 10 HENSON WOOD JR Primary Examiner.

path extending inwardly from the inlet opening. 

1. A CATCH MECHANISM COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT, A LOCKING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID FIRST MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS THEREON, SAID LOCKING MEMBER BEING NORMALLY ENGAGED WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER IN SAID POSITION, A YIELDABLE BIASING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID LOCKING MEMBER FOR URGING SAID LOCKING MEMBER TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION, A PORTION OF SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING POSITIONED TO DISENGAGE SAID LOCKING MEMBER FROM SAID FIRST MEMBER, AND A MEANS ON THE LOCKING MEMBER FOR SECURING THE SECOND MEMBER TO THE LOCKING MEMBER WHEN THE LOCKING MEMBER IS DISENGAGED FROM THE FIRST MEMBER WHEREBY SAID BIASING MEANS WILL FORCE THE LOCKING MEMBER AND SAID SECOND MEMBER TO MOVE TOWARD SAID SECOND POSITION. 